Moistening device for gums



(No Model.)

R. E. BOOMEM. MOISTBNING-DEVIGB FOR GUMS, BNVELPES, 65C. No. 436,822.Patented Sept. V23, 1890.

UNITEDV STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT E. BOORAEM, OF JERSEY CITY, NEIV JERSEY.

MOISTENING DEVICE FOR GUMS, ENVELOPES, 800.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 436,822, datedSeptember 23, 1890.

Application filed January 2, 1890. Serial No. '335,627. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT E. BooEnEM, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Jersey City, county of HudsomState of New Jersey, haveinvented a new and useful Im provement in Devices for Moistening Gums,Envelopes, {Postage-Stamps, &c., and other `Kindred Uses, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in devices for moistening gums,envelopes, post-= age-stamps, che., and other similar uses; and theobject of the same is to provide a receptacle for holding a supply ofwater or other liquid which may be conveniently kept as a part of theparaphernalia of any writingdesk and in which the Supply of liquid formoistening will be constant and readily regulated.

A great number of portable devices have been constructed for the purposeof supplying mucilage, shoe-blacking, water for cleansing slates, dac.,through the medium of a brush or a sponge; but in all of these devicesthere is either no means ot' controlling the supply of the liquid orelse the devices employed are of such a nature as to so diminish thecapillary attraction of the particles of moisture at the point ofcontrol that the sponge or brush becomes dry when the article is not inuse, and when the moisture is again admitted some time elapses beforethe liquid commences to flow.

The object of my invention, as before stated, is to provide an articlein which these objections are obviated, and I accomplish this' by makingthe receptacle or bottle containing the water or liquid of a peculiarshape, and I provide a controlling device or valve in the neck of thebottle which is easily and completely regulated by the hand.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingsheet of drawings, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal section of thedevice; Fig. 2, a side view of the same resting upon a flat surface;Fig. 3, an enlarged view of the neck of the bottle, showing themoisture-controlling device; and Fig. 4, a view of a detail ofconstruction.

Similarletters refer to similar parts through out the several views.

In the drawings, A represents the bottle or vessel for containing themoisture, which may be of any convenient material, shape, or design. Inany case it is imperative to so form the bottle upon its base that itcannot be placed on end, for the reason that an absence of water inactual contact with the regulating device will cut off the supply ofwater to the sponge or brushentirely; and it will also be founddesirable to so form the bottle that when laid down it will assume apractically-horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 2, so keeping theWater in its interior in constant Contact with the regulatingvalve.

The neck of the bottle is provided with a screw-threaded sleeve 0rcollar a, which may be formed thereon or attached thereto, over which isscrewed a hollow sleeve or nipple B, provided on its inner surface witha screwthread b, which sleeve screws over the screwthreaded collar a, somaking a tight joint.

In the interior of the sleeve B is placed a compression-pad E forregulating and conf stantly delivering a Supply of liquid to the' spongeor brush. This pad is composed of two perforated metal disks c c, whicht into the interior of the sleeve B, and the lower of these disks restsupon lugs or is rigidly fast,-

T ened in the sleeve B in any convenient manner. One of these disks isshown in Fig. 4, the perforations, of which there maybe any number,being indicated by o 0.

A moisture-absorbing compression-pad c2 is placed between the disks, asshown in the views. It may be composed of cotton, flax, felt, sawdust,paper-pulp, cotton waste, rub ber, hair, flannel, worsted, sponge,cloth, glass or slag wool, lamp-wick, asbestus, chamois leather, or anyother suitable material, or any combination of these or similarmaterials that will retain moisture. f

The vessel is provided with a hollow stopper D, provided with ascrew-threaded projection d at the base and iitted to screw into theupper end of the sleeve B. The hollow stopper contains a sponge, brush,wick, or other moisture distributing medium O,

through which moisture may be drawn by capillary attraction, whichpasses through its hollow interior, and is securely fastened and comesin contact with the upper disk of the compression-pad.

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The general arrangement' of the disk with reference to the sleeve B andthe stopper D is shown in Fig. 3, e2 representing the filling ormaterial, which is compressed. The compression of the pad is effected byscrewing down the cap CZ so that the extremity of the screw-threadedportion of the cap will come in contact with the upper of the two disksforming the pad and so force the same down. In this way, the lower diskbeing held firmly in the neck of the vessel, the pad willbe compressed,and, by compressing` the particles of the material composing it, sobringing them into closer contact with each other, lessens its porosityand the supply of moistening medium is gradually cut off.

In certain cases,where a maximum amount of moisture is suddenlyrequired, it may be found desirable to add agencies for causing the twodisks to separate by some force other than the mutual expansion of thefilling when the pressure of the stopper is relieved by unscrewing, inorder that the filling may more readily expand, and so permit themoisture to flow out. In such cases a ring of rubber f may be used, asshown in cross-section in Fig. 3, which ring will be compressed with the[illing by the screwing down of the stopper, and when the pressure isremoved it will expand and assume its original shape and carry the diske upward with it, increasing the porosity of the pad and allowingmoisture to pass freely. Instead of this rubber ring any other devicethat will accomplish the same purpose may be used-such as a spiralspring placed between the two disks, or one or more disks of perforatedsoft rubber as part of the compression-pad. The addition of softrubberperforated disks to the moisture compressionpad will have twofoldadvantages: first, it will serve as a spring to separate or expand thematerial composing the compression-pad, and, secondly,when thesoft-rubber perforated disks are compressed or squeezed the perforationsor holes between become closed or partiallyclosed by the protrudingrubber, and thus serve to check or partially check, as may be desired,the flow of water moistening the pad, thus becoming a valve or regulatorin itself. The operation of the invention will be apparent from theforegoing description. The bottle portion of the device may be filledwith the desired liquid by unscrewing the sleeve B at the lower end fromthe neck of bottle A. After filling, the sleeve B is screwed down tightand the supply of moisture to the sponge is regulated by turning the capD. The bottle should be kept upon a flat surface, as shown in Fig. 2, sothat the compression-pad shall be kept continually moist, and to preventthe sponge or brush C from conveying moisture to the surface upon whichthe device rests a ange d', with a milled edge, is provided on the cap Dfor raising and supporting the same, as shown in Fig. 4.

When itis desired to use the device, it is simply taken in the hand, thecap D is turned so as to allow the compression-pad to expand, and themoisture will then be supplied continuously through the pad to thesponge or brush C and from the sponge or brush to the surface where itis desired.

I claim as my inventionl. In a device for moistening gums, envel-l opes,postage-stamps, &c., and other similar uses, the combination, with themoisture-containing receptacle, of a stopper adjustable in its neck, anda compression-pad placed in said neck of the same and arranged to becornpressed by the turning of the stopper.

2. In a device for moistening gums, envelopes, postage-stamps, &c., andother similarl uses, the combination, with the moisture-ccntainingreceptacle, of a compression-pad composed of two perforated disks,combined withk distributing medium, the inner extremity ofwhich passesthrough its interior and comes in contact with the compression-pad, soarranged that by screwing the stopper down or up the pad will becompressed or expanded and the supply of moisture regulated or cut off,as may be desired.

4. In a device for moistening gums, envelopes, postage-stamps, &c., andother similar uses, the combination, with the moisture-containingreceptacle A, provided with the screwthreaded neck a, of thescrew-sleeve B, the compression-pad F in the interior of the sleeve, thehollow screw-stopper D, screwing into the sleeve, and the distributingmedium C, passing through the stopper D, for the purposes -set forth.

5. In a device for moistening gums, envelopes, postage-stamps, dac., andother similar uses, the combination, with the moisture-containingreceptacle having a stopper longitudinally adjustable in its neck, of acompressionpad, substantially as described, arranged to be adj usted bythe movement of the stopper, having one or more elastic substances inits interior, for the purposes set forth.

6. In a device for moistening gums, envelopes, postage-stamps, &c., andother similar uses, the combination, with the moisture-containingreceptacle having a stopper longitudinally adjustable in its neck, of acompressionpad, substantially as described, arranged to be adjusted bythe movement of the stopper,

having one or more disks of soft rubber within and forming a part of thesame, for the purposes set forth.

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7. In a device for moist-ening gums, envelopes, postage-stamps, &c., andother similar In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 1o uses, thecombination, with the moisture-oonmy invention I have signed my name, inprestaining receptacle, of a compression pad ence of two Witnesses, this23d day of Decemplaced in the neck of the vessel, composed of ber, 1889.two perforated disks containing between them one or moreperforatedsoft-rubber disks, ROBERT E BOORAEM combined with a filling,substantially as de- Witnesses: scribed, and arranged to be adjusted byturn- C. H. WARD,

ing the stopper of the receptacle. WM. GUEDELHOEFER.

